Out of the Mists
by loveinchaos
Summary: Kidnapped! Ghosts! Pirates! War! Pride! Prejudice! and DRAGONS! Astrid tried to get the nerve to open her eyes, to look over her shoulder, and to see who she was with. Then she felt the monster beneath her make a sharp turn. She screamed, her eyes popped open. The first thing she saw was the fog falling behind them and as they barreled upward into open blue sky.
1. Chapter 1

"**War**."

A quiet enough command that started the warriors of Berk chanting and screeching, the warriors banged the handles of their weapons against the tables and walls. Astrid grinned at her mother, the chieftess, and howled into the battle cries. The village poured outside without torches and settling in position, they waited. Astrid sharpened her hatchets, restlessly as she trained her eyes on the dark outline of the dock.

Out of the mists, a ship came. The masts in sails as black as the night, unnervingly black. And the sailors on board were dressed in strange armor. They wore normal animal skins but over which they wore the colorful scaly armor that made them look like small dragons. The only thing comfortingly Viking about them were their war helmets with long horns.

Ruffnut murmured under her breath, "You pirates are gonna get what's coming to you." Astrid touched her friends shoulder. The beginnings of dawn came and Astrid recognized the battle cry of her mother. Astrid sent up her own bone chilling scream and began the charge.

:

The pirates had been quietly unlatching the gates of flock pens and food stores when the cry went up. They were caught unawares when the famous warriors of Berk attacked them. A small pirate with freckles was still frozen in panic. He and his crew were so outnumbered, it wasn't funny. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see his father was wrestling two men. A woman with a sword crept up behind him. The young pirate threw his smallest dagger toward his father. His father caught it deftly and stabbed the woman who been coming up behind him with his left hand. With his right hand he grabbed the head of one Viking and smashed it into the other's. The three adversaries went down like rag dolls. "Go, Dad!" he triumphantly screamed, only to realize that he had attracted the attention of other young Vikings. They moved toward him as one, like a pack of wild dogs. Breathlessly he threw the nearest torch into the window of the nearest house. The young pirate took up another piece of burning wood and waved it around him like a horrible sword and screeched. He kept the 3 warriors at bay, watching him warily. He waved his fire at them and screamed like a madman until he heard the dull crack of a pillar breaking, he immediately turned tail and ran. Wood splintered in his wake. His enemies tried to chase him But, then the house he'd set afire collapsed. His enemies were buried in rubble. Laughing, he ran back toward the docks, keeping out of sight. He looked to the sky and paled. "Dad!" he screamed. The immense Viking knocked down another man before looking at his son. From his son's expression he knew to look at the sky. The Pirate cussed before hollering, " T'IS DAWN! RETREAT!"

Everyone then began to race for the docks and the pirate ship.

The sun was rising as red as the blood spilt below. A young pirate by the name of Snotlout was throwing rocks and hammers into the skulls of any Viking who neared. Someone somewhere had started a fire. Smoke clouded his vision and caught in his throat. The sound was deafening, screams of pain and fear coming from all around him. Above the rest he heard his Chief's cry for retreat. Turning to follow orders, a hammer spiraled through the air and smashed into Snotlout's face. He staggered. He felt two pairs of hands grab him by the arms. Panicked, he cries out for help. Another blow from a hammer brings pain to his jaw and blackness to his mind.

;

The pirate ship quickly broke away from the docks. Random Vikings of Berk who had tried to board it had been unceremoniously dumped into the icy water. Arrows still rained on them but most were poorly made, missing or bouncing harmlessly off the ship's Nightfury sails. Only one arrow, shot from Astrid's bow, was able to successfully lodge itself into the mast of the ship. The pirate captain finally halted his bellowing of orders to survey his crew. There were quite a few cuts and bruises but no one was dead. The pirate petted his enormous red beard, fretfully. _They had stolen only half of what they had meant to steal. How would his village survive? There wasn't enough for village AND for their offering. And without their offering, they'd surely all be doomed. He stopped his fretting long enough to observe the arrow, lodged into the wood. His mind recalled the fierce girl who had shot that arrow. Impressive. Now if only he could find a wife for one of his heirs, like that. _

Looking about to check on his aforementioned heirs, the pirate's blood ran cold. His voice boomed across the ship and the whole ocean.

"WHERE IS HE?! WHERE IS MY NEPHEW?!"

He calls to his son, "Hiccup?"

"Yeah, Dad. I'm here."

"Did you see your cousin get aboard the ship?"

Hiccup scrunches up his face in concentration, the entire ship waits with bated breath to hear from Hiccups photographic memory, "No… Snotlout… _He didn't make it to the docks._

;

_What a nightmare_, Snotlout thinks. The sun is glaring into his face when he opens his eyes. How late is it? Had he slept in? His Chores! His mother would kill him!

Trying to bolt out of bed he finds himself restrained and a sharp pain around his shoulders and wrists. He falls back onto hard earth and smacks his head against the pole behind him. Delirious, he observes his surroundings. Slowly, a barn is coming into focus. Panic reasserts itself within him. This was not any barn on His island. He's been kidnapped. Just then the doors banged open and two blonde teenagers came in with food. They both had horns and teeth sewn into their clothes of furs and leather just as both were very tall, very blonde, and very skinny.

"Oh look. He's awake." Said the boy.

"Hope you slept well, THIEVING PIRATE." Griped the girl.

And in one of the Thorson twin's rare moments of unison they said, "Welcome To Berk."

Snotlout fully realizes the gravity of his situation and can only manage out a miserable cussword.

The twins both exploded with laughter.

A muffled exclamation came from an all new direction. Three heads swiveled as one to see a rather large boy emerge from a hay pile on the barns uppermost loft. "Hey, Guys! What's so funny?"

The girl screams up, "Don't go that way!" But it's too late. The large boy steps off the loft and into mid air. He fell 10 feet to land in another, thankfully large, hay pile. The girl ran over and began pulling the boy out.

"Cute Couple" grunted Snot lout.

"WHAT? Were not a couple!" yelled the girl, jumping away from the large boy in the hay.

The boy in the hay promptly fell back down, "Ouch! Ya'know, Ruffnut, You COULD reject the idea of us in ever being together WITHOUT letting fall on my Face!"

Flustered and sputtering, she helped him out of the pile. Irritated, he muttered a thank you and started stomping about the barn, performing chores.

Ruffnut stuttered along behind him before she finally managed a confused and guilty, "Sorry, Fishlegs."

"Ruffnut and Fishlegs…," muttered Snotlout, turning his head to look at the third teen by the door, "Which makes you…?"

"The one who captured you." Said the nameless teen, puffing up his chest, proudly.

"All these years on the job and I get kidnapped by a clothesline? My mother's gonna kill me."

The nameless kid made no reply except to crash the butt of his hammer into Snotlout's helmet. Snotlout grinned into the pain of his head and the other teenager's uproarious laughter.

_ $^$^&&&_$( _

Reading your reviews, makes me haaappy! so if you haven't yet, REVIEW IT NOW OR FACE MY WRATH... 0.e

thanks ^_^


	2. Chapter 2

The prayer was inspired by a real prayer against Viking attacks, but I made up the ending. The songs you'll eventually hear (or read) are both real and Very Old. Google them if you're curious. -L

Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx/

"Night mare Gut! Get your grilled nightmare gut here!"

"Terrible Terrors! Deep fried! Fricasseed! Or roasted!"

"Back by popular demand! Sautéed summer frogs! Now with even more dipping bloods!"

Such went the usual chaos of dinner in the town mess hall. Toasting and celebrating their relatively successful bout with the pirates, the Vikings reclined happily. Tuffnut Thorson stretched and appreciatively munched into a leg of terrible Terror. His sister tore into the front half of the same Terror.

Seeing his eyes on her, his sister offered him a bite which he waved off. Tuffnut could never bring himself to eat the front half of the little monster, even if the eyeballs did taste the best. Being forced into looking at the pests, he was always struck by how cute they were.

He said all of this aloud to his sister, his sister's crush, his own best friend, and a tall metal cage with a blanket over it. **Make of THAT what you will.**

From inside the cage came some agreeable mutterings while Astrid cocked an eyebrow at him. "Seriously?" said Ruffnut.

"Well, the eye to face ratio of a terrible Terror is like 1:3, unlike most dragons, so I guess they could trigger the nurturing instinct. Not to mention their several sizes smaller than any other kind of dragon. So I suppose it's understandable." Said Fishlegs, nodding.

Ruffnut and Astrid both made confused grunts between bites. The metal cage said, "I'm goanna take all that nonsense to mean that the Terrors kind of look like babies…"

Tuffnut chuckled and kicked the cage; he was really enjoying this prisoner's company- too bad he was a piss wallowing pirate…

Eventually all the Vikings all settled down and the chieftess- Bertha the endowed- stood atop the large circular island in the center of the hall. Bertha tossed her blonde hair back and began something akin to a prayer that everyone in the hall chanted a half step behind her.

"Gods of all things seen and unseen!"

Recognizing the prayer, Snotlout also joins in from within the cage.

**All: "Gods of all things!"**

"Pity us, your people, the highest favor by preserving and guarding our bodies,"

**All: "Pity us, preserving and guarding our bodies."**

" free us from the savage Pirates," This makes Snotlout falter and he drops his voice to a whisper.

"who doth devastate our realms."

**All: "free us from the savage Pirates who devastate our peace."**

Snotlout whispers to himself, "_And save us from the savage Vikings who would destroy our balance._"

"**Power to our people. Righteous glory guides our swords and gives strength to our sons and daughters."**

_Snotlout: "Power to our people. Glory guides our sails and gives speed to our sons and daughters."_

"**May we see eachother march into"**

"_May we see eachother fly upto…" _

"_**the halls of Valhalla and not depart from each other's side within the time between."**_

_**: **_Everyone sat back down and began to eat or resume eating. Snotlout let out a sigh. _At least the end is the same… but I wonder if Valhalla is large enough for the both of our tribes?_ He was startled by Tuffnut yanking the blanket over the cage up to peer in at him.

"Were you PRAYING in there, Pirate?"

"Yeah. What? You saying Pirates can't get into Valhalla? Were brave too, you freaking Viking…"

Tuffnut looked very thoughtful and was plainly about to ask a question when shouts went up behind him. He let the blanket fall and Snotlout was once again in stuffy darkness. He felt them pushing his cage around and up a ramp. He tickled the palm of one of the laborers and was rewarded by the giggles of Ruffnut, "Cut it out, you silly pirate!" she whispered. He laughed nervously. He knew what came next and he wasn't looking forward to it. Tribal gloating…

Eventually, he was where they wanted him and the blanket was torn away.

Blinking in the light he heard taunts, jeers, and empty goblets clang into the bars of the cage. He felt the splatter of alcohol as goblets that had not yet been empty were thrown against the cage. At first he retorted and poked fun at all the Vikings but after two hours in the spot light he fell silent. He just dodged the forks and knives and ate the small bits of food that made it through.

The night wore on and the villager's got drunker. A few staggered back home and would, in the morning, become the jealous who missed what happened near midnight. What happened was terrible.

A terrible terror, actually. It flew into the hall and flew circles around the Vikings before dropping a small parcel on the chieftess's head. "I want that thing skewered and on my plate in ten minutes!" she screeched and all the Vikings in the hall set about trying to catch the wild thing. Snot lout laughed at them, quite loudly. The chieftess noticed the parcel and unraveled it. A message. Who the hell sent messages via Terror?

"silence."

The hall was still chaos and some of the Vikings were hurting each other by accident. Ridiculous.

"SILENCE." The hall finally fell still and the Terrible Terror landed smugly atop Snotlout's cage.

"Nice work, girl," Whispered Snotlout as he offered a piece of potato up to her through the bars.

Bertha quickly stepped up on the stage where all could see. Her back to Snotlout and the Terror, she read aloud,

"To the Peoples of Berk,

We send you our regards from the seas within the fog…"

The entire hall hissed at the trademark address.

"You have one of our own, and we being men and women of legacy and honor-"

Father's scoffed and some of the younger present laughed outright. Snotlout scowled at them all.

"We do not expect you to give him back for nothing." Silence.

"In the hopes we can come to a mutually beneficial agreement, an honest trade. We are coming. At your… humble docks, we'll meet you with compensation.

Expect us an hour after dawn. We will sail under the flag of peace …unless provoked.

Sencirely, … H. Haddock, the bringer of destruction, of the NightFury Raiders."

Gasps went around at that title and Snotlout rolled his eyes_. If only they knew…_

"Haddock! THAT Haddock?"

"Save our souls!"

"We beat them once, we could do it again!"

"But what if SHE is there?"

"Oh please, Lady Hicca Haddock, the bringer of destruction is a complete hoax! Did You see such a woman?"

"It's said she once leveled a village with one fist!"

"Dragonshit. That's ridiculous!"

"But MY house was leveled like that!"

"That's True!"

"SILENCE," said the chieftess, "All this speculation is useless. Legends aside, we must still contend with Captain Stoick the Vast. They are pirates, trained in thievery and killing! We cannot afford to fight them head on again.


	3. it gets complicated

"We will meet, peacefully. And if they try anything-" she pointed at Snotlout in his cage.

"We will Kill the Prisoner!"

The hall roared in bloodthirsty approval. Snotlout shrank into his cage, fear showing clear as day on his face. He would curse himself for showing weekness as his guards teased him for it later. They mimicked and embellished his expression the whole time they pushed his cage back to the barn.

Fishlegs tripped in the dark of the barn, Ruffnut scolded him and put his arm around her shoulder, as if to support him home. fishlegs was not actually that drunk, but he let himself stagger and lean on her as they left. Astrid and Snotlout exchanged a knowing look.

"So prisoner, Barnpost or Cage?" she chirped at him, waving the rope for all to see.

Snotlout snorted and whiled melodramatically, "It soaked with wine and smells like piss in here."

"Barnpost it is!"

Tuffnut snatched the rope from Astrid's hand. She blinked at him, startled. "I'll do it. you go off to bed."

Astrid cocked her head at him and studied Tuffnut. he shuffled uncomfortably and she nodded."Yeah, okay. I need to be up early, anyway."

Snotlout looked after Astrid, curiously, and caught her backward glance. She had smirked. Wha?Being so disracted, he missed his chance to escape when Tuffnut opened the cage door. Before he knew it, his hands were being tied behing his back, an arm around his neck.

He was manhandled out of the cage and set down against the barnpost. As he was being fastened, Snotlout smacked his head into the barnpost again. "OW"

"Idiot," scolded Tuffnut. Tuffnut pulled Snotlout's head down by the hair to inspect the bump, now forming.

As snotlout started swearing indignantly, Tuffnut detatched some thin steal plates from his belt. Snotlout's eyes widened and he tried to edge away. Tuffnut yanked him back and held the plates to the back of his head.

"Aah..." said the pirate as the cool metal began to calm the bump like an ice pack, "so that's what those are for..."

Tuffnut snorted, "Yeah, thats what these are for."

Snotlout relaxed appreciatively and a heavy tiredness over took him. He actually began to drift off when Tuffnut spoke once more, "Why were you so quiet while we were teasing you? It's not like you."

Snotlout muttered, "Not like me? You don't know me!"

"Sure, I do."

Snotlout blinked at Tuffnut groggily, "Hmmn...Well, They don't know what thier talking about. Course, i was friggin scared. Have any of them been subject to thier own people's hate? I Don't Think So."

"Well... It's happened more often than you'd think."Tuffnut whispered, a hand resting briefly on Snotlout's knee. Snotlout blinked himself awake to ask a question but Tuff was already gone.

$%%4-Berk at Dawn-%$^

Fog was rising out of the sea and hugging the shores. It set everyone on edge. This was the most undeniable and frustrating part of the superstitions. Whenever the pirates arrived, it was either night or fog. And the fog would follow their ship. It was said that there was an island that the pirates had declared war on that became so smothered in fog; no one could find it again.

No matter how logically Astrid and her mother had tried to explain away all the folklore, they couldn't deny the weather. The pirates really did seem to bring the fog with them.

The people formed a huge semi circle around the docks expectantly, silent as graves. Everyone had a weapon and everyone kept it in hand. Swords, hammers, and grapplers all held stiff by their owners' sides.

Astrid watched from the nearest hilltop, pacing like a caged lion. From here she would oversee all that transpired below and shoot any pirate who tried to attack her people. She began to throw her hatchet into the nearest tree again and again, imagining branches to be Pirates' heads. She turned sharply.

There had been eyes on her. Someone was watching. Turning in a slow circle, she saw nothing but fog, woods, and steep hillside. Pre-battle paranoia? It didn't help that the fog was so thick. It was like a blanket, really… suffocating. _Someone could easily hide in this fog…_

She looked back down toward the docks. Her people blended together into a ring of black. And_ there they were_! Coming out of the mists, the ship with funeral black sails anchored just a hundred yards away from the docks. A long boat was being lowered into the water. She put her hatchet on her belt and from her back she pulled a bow and arrow.

The longboat reached the dock. Astrid notched her bow. The fog choked out the sun.

Two enormous men had come off the ship in the strange scaly armor. They carried no weapons but it seemed that they were simply so big that they didn't need any. The captain was distinguishable by his enormous stature, commanding posture, and fiery red beard. The second man was not as commanding but still intimidating. Where one man wore majesty like a cloak, the other carried fear like a load on his shoulders. He seemed hunched backed and a face without expression with a small chest being dragged behind him. He had neither a right arm nor a left leg, but gleaming pieces of had never seen such beautiful iron workmanship or such a treasure chest so marked with burns and dried blood. Everyone shrank back. Everyone but Astrid's mother.

Bertha, the endowed stepped forward to meet them. The discussion began.

:

Hiccup skidded down Cliffside. The stones were deadly slippery thanks to the fog. He reached the narrow beach and scurried up the side of the second ship on the blind side of the island. Breathless ly he reported, "Almost the entire island is surrounding Dad and Gobber. Some Women and the younger children are being kept inside their houses. Ms. Mortician has received a return signal from Snotlout. It won't be long; she'll find him any minute now."

Valhallarama nodded thoughtfully. "Things are going well. Perhaps we will be able to leave without incident."

"Um, mom?"

Ruffling his short cropped hair, "Yes, Hicca?"

"Don't call me Hicca, I get enough of that from the others." Said hiccup, rolling his eyes. He swallowed nervously before continuing, "Mom, there's an archer. On top of that hill."

"So? Take him out."

"Uh, it's a girl."

"Oh." Valhallarama examined her son thoughtfully. He had never shown this much hesitation before. "Is this the same girl burried an Arrow in the mast?"

" yes, that's her."

"Are you worried you won't be able to sneak up behind her?"

"No… the fog is thick. I could get close enough…"

Valhallarama grew impatient and changed the subject, "Hiccup, have you thought about that proposal you were offered by your uncle Alvin, the treacherous?"

Hiccup did a double take. "What about it? You're not suggesting I Accept that offer! Marry me off to Excellinor the 2nd? I think not!"

"We are in dire need of recourses, hiccup." He fell silent, eyes enormous with worry. "I would never force you to marry Excellinor; she's a cold hearted bone-napper."

Hiccup and Valhallarama shared a chuckle which Valhallarama stopped short to look him in the eye. "Hiccup, if it came down to it… Would you marry for your people?"

Hiccup looked down the beach thoughtfully, his eyes flickered to the hilltop and then back to his mother. She smiled. He grew alarmed. It was a pretty evil smile.

"Hiccup, go and wake Him." She said pointing to the enormous slow breathing mound near the front of the ship, "He'll want this chance to stretch."

;

Snotlout was in rope again, no longer tied to a barn post in case an agreement was reached. His arms were still bound together behind him and one end of his rope was being held like a leash by Fishlegs. The young pirate was ridiculously exited, pacing and sometimes skipping. When the fog bagan to set he nearly ran out to see his boat when it docked but Fishlegs was an immovable rock and Snotlout fell on his face. Snotlout pleaded with Fishlegs. "I just wanna see! Really!"

Fishlegs just sat on his end if the rope, quite content to never move again in his life. "Interesting this fog, huh? About 31% thicker than our usual weather," he commented mildly. This made Snotlout spit and swear which just made Fishlegs laugh.

Snotlout, show-off that he is, stopped swearing to savor the laughter. Under the laughter, he heard it. A frail voice singing a ditty from his childhood, a funny little song that the entire crew had grown fond of. Learned from voyages and raids in America, "There was a rich lady lived over the seaa, and she was an island queeeen. Her daughter lived off in the new countryyy, with an ocean of water betweeen."  
"With an ocean of water between!" bellowed Snotlout.

"What the hell are you saying?" said Fishlegs. His eyes narrowed, suspicious. His battle axe was instantaneously out of his belt and now drifted from hand to hand. Snotlout gulped.

Well, when all else fails… make 'em laugh. Snotlout leapt to his feet and pretended to stagger like a drunkard. Switching songs to a Mess Hall Classic he sang, cheerfully, "Lo, there do I see my father. Lo, there do I see my mother, and my sisters, and my brothers!"

Fishlegs surveyed the barn entrances, still suspicious, but he joined in under his breath. "Lo, there do I see the line of my people, Back to the beginning!"

"Lo, they do call to meee…"

Fishlegs was on his feet, his end of the rope tucked in his belt and battle axe raised high. "Who sang that?"

Snot lout faked obliviousness, "You mean that wasn't you?"

They looked at each other. Then they both looked alarmed. Then they both felt alarmed, in Ernest. Like a horror story you don't believe until you and your friends start freaking each other out.

"Fish, do you have ghosts on this island?"

"Highly unlikely, I've lived here 100% of my life and in 17 years, I should have already met one."

"Wait, you're 17? You're my age!" a gob smacked look on his face.

"Yeah. Next week, though." Said Fishlegs, entertained by his expression.

"Happy Birthday, Dude!"

"Thank you. You're 17?"

"4 months strong!" He said, puffing up his chest. He would have taken off his helmet and bowed were in not for how thoroughly he was bound.

"Funny, your maturity levels are lacking by at least 30%. I thought you must be a large 1-year-old."

"Wah- WHAT? You can't measure maturity by percentages!"

"Sure I can. You can measure anything by percentages."

"No, Some things are intangible. Your not supposed to measure them." _Where is that second signal? Why is she taking so long?,_ he thought.

"We measure bravery. That's intangible. But we still argue about which of us will get into Valhalla. And I'm pretty sure your going to get in on bronze instead of brains."

Glaring, "Ok, that's just rude! I'm you're elder. You supposed to Respect me."

Fishlegs laughed and under his laughter Snotlout once again he heard the frail voice sing low, "Lo, they do call to meee." It was right outside.

Fishlegs stopped laughing and his eyes clapped on the barn door.

Snot lout threw caution to the wind and yelled, "They bid me take my place among them, In the halls of Valhalla!"

Fishlegs pounced on Snotlout. The barn doors burst open. In skin clinging clothes was a tall woman with brown curls tumbling down her back. Fishlegs pressed the blade of his battle axe into Snotlout's throat. "Where the brave may live foreevveeer." Finished the woman.

; ;

From her hilltop, Astrid could hear none of the deals the pirates were offering but she could feel her people getting more restless. Whatever had been offered wasn't enough. This was gonna get ugly. Something hard and sharp bounced off the back of her head. Turning, she shot an arrow into the mists. She listened to it zip through the air, coming into contact with nothing. She glared, looking for any sign of movement. A pebble suddenly shot out at her and clipped her shoulder. She shot another arrow, and heard it crash into a bush. This damn fog was too thick. Two pebbles smacked into her in rapid succession, one drawing blood from her forehead. This was no good. She couldn't see her attacker and she was too in the open. Switching her bow for her hatchet she ran into the fog, following the footpath that she knew well. She stopped behind a tree. Listen.

Nothing. Rustling. Hurried footsteps. She ran after her attacker. She could hear him panting and tripping. She had home court advantage! Adrenaline pumped into her and she doubled her speed. She heard him utter a cry of alarm directly in front of her. _He's reached a dead end!_

Suddenly there was nothing beneath her feet. Her mind reassessed as she began to fall. _Not a dead end. A cliff. Dead End. DEAD._

It happened so fast, she forgot to scream. Something wrapped around her middle. Two things came from behind her and forced her legs apart. A dark shape rushed up to meet her. Suddenly she was sitting on something while she was falling. She felt it pull up. She saw ice cold water part before them from the rush of hair. She was going across the water, impossibly fast.

Her fingers processed that her hands had instinctively clutched onto two short horns in front of her. Her hands felt around. Hot scales and leather straps. She tried to look upward. Banks of Fog flashed by, she was driving through layers of grey and white mists at impossible speed with chilling black water a few feet below. She whimpered, screwing her eyes shut. Two arms tightened around her middle. "Lean into me," he said. She leaned back into someone's chest. The two arms relaxed away from her waist and took hold of the hand grips woven out of the leather. Astrid tried to get the nerve to open her eyes, to look over her shoulder, and to see who she was with. Then she felt the monster beneath her make a sharp turn. She screamed, her eyes popped open. The first thing she saw was the fog falling behind them and as they barreled upward into open blue sky.


	4. Chapter 3

**IF YOU READ THIS CAPTER BEFORE SCROLL TO THE BOTTOM BEFORE READING NEXT CHAPTER**

GAH, IM AN IDIOT! It's been hell and I totally dropped the ball… I'm going to do better for my readers, All 20 of you…

Just kidding!... sort of. I really appreciate your participation, criticism, comments, and encouragement. There are more songs to come. And these you may yet know… -L

- Berk -

Bertha the endowed was dreading something. She was more nervous now, as the fog was clearing, than she had been in the chilly morning of trade.

*flashback*

The men heaved the treasure chest back onto their long boat. The funnily shaped one was still yammering, " This was a good offer, to have an honest trade. You'll regret not taking this bargain, I can promise you that." Bertha was already regretting it. His unnerving amount of mutilations had given way to a not unlikable personality, and Bertha would not have minded peace with him. And while Stoic the Vast had said little, he had made it clear how much more they'd be willing to give for the boy. Even perhaps set up a contingency plan. But the idea of the pirates returning on a regular basis put the village more on edge. "Why volunteer so much for a single boy."

The mutilated man spoke for them again, "Only you could call him a single boy, having boys to spare. But to us folk, of which there are so few, each one of us is irreplaceable. Family is what we are… And we would do anything for each other."

*fin*

This had been both a plea and a warning, she knew it. But alas it fell on deaf ears. Bertha the Endowed, despite being Chieftess, in this moment had no true power. She was a mere speaker for the people and could not override their stubborn deafness. So now that noon had finally brought the sun back around, Just as her people had been too stubborn to listen to a pirate's pleas, Bertha was stubbornly nervous and afraid. Something terrible was about to happen.

The terrible Thorson twins, actually. In they came with bloody news, and they would have screamed it at the top of their lungs had they not been carrying a bleeding Viking on their backs. Maura the Thunderous rose from Bertha's side. She ran to the twins, reaching for her son. "Fishlegs!"

Fishlegs was put down on the stage and everyone swarmed around him. Mothers immediately set to work bandaging him. A strange rash of yellow hives had begun swelling around the some deeper cuts. Everyone crowded around the unconscious teenager. Mutterings and whimpers arose from the crowd.

"What is it?"

"What's Wrong with him?"

"Tis A curse! The Pirates have cursed us all!"

"Daddy, What's that yellow stuff?"

"Nothing sweetie… Go to our house and get that medicine Daddy uses on snake bites, kay baby?" Bertha watched the child go before sidling up next to the father who had spoken, "What did you mean by that? Could poison do this?"

The father turned out to be Roth the Fair and he nodded. "I haven't seen wounds like that since the last great war… but yes. Specifically, a poisoned sword."

Maura made a helpless guttering sound, a far cry from her usual booming self-assurance. Bertha put a hand on Fishleg's mother. She couldn't imagine seeing either of her children like that. Suddenly worried Bertha looks around for her children. She spots her son, Rek, at Fishleg's feet with tears in his eyes. "Rek. Reksi! Rek? Hey…go out and check on your sister for me, okay?" The 10 year old looked at her, lost. He then gratefully nodded his head and stumbled out of the building. Bertha took a deep breath and looked at everything. The people were beginning to panic and the wounds would be infected or worsened by unknowing hands trying to help. "Everyone out! Children, Men, and anyone who Can't help this boy, out with you!"

Everyone but nursing mothers and the few teenagers cleared out, reluctantly.

Roth did not leave but instead turned to the twins, "What in Locki's Name happened to him?" Ruffnut didn't seem to hear him but Tuffnut responded for both of them. "We found him like this, hunched over against Wavebreaker Rock."

Roth blinked, "but that's the sea line. Almost a mile from the prisoner-"

Unexpectedly Ruffnut spoke, "The prisoner wasn't there anymore…See, we- we went to the barn first but they were both gone. There was b- blood… all over." Her eyes fixed again on Fishlegs and she started to stutter nonsense. Bertha joined them and put a comforting arm around Ruffnut's shaking shoulders. "It's okay, child. Do not cry. You're friend will be fine. We know what to do. Just wait, he'll come round."

From behind them came a raspy voice hissing, "Odin's cursed eye…"

Maura thundered a scolding, "Language!" before realizing who had spoken and running to her son's side.

"Or he could wake up now. That works too." Chuckled Tuffnut as his sister raced over with Bertha a step behind."

Fishlegs groaned, "Sorry, mum." His words were slurring and sloppy and he was still squinting as if he couldn't see where he was. Ruffnut might have hugged him if he hadn't started coughing up blood. Maura held a bucket and pulled her son up so he could spit the blood out. After he did this she inspected his mouth. She soon sighed with relief, " He bit his tongue. So no major internal bleeding… it's just his tongue."

Ruffnut teetered with uncertainty until she was beaten to the punch by Bertha, "What happened?" Fishlegs coughed a lot more before he could get enough air in his lungs, "Was attacked by this…pirates. and she came to take the prisoner. Too fast for me, and silent, 'cept for the song. She… was singing a lot…" He broke into more wheezing coughs. "Were all these cuts by her?", asked Roth.

"N-no. Some were by my own foolish axe being whirled around by that –cough-Overgrown – cough- One Year Old."

"Is he getting delirious on us?" asked Bertha, with concern.

Ruffnut smiled weakly, "No, he's just talking about the prisoner."

"That's a pretty accurate description of him." Chimed in Tuffcup.

Ruffnut snapped at her brother, "Accurate of you too, now hush." This set off a classic twins argument. Bertha ignored them and asked Fishlegs to continue.

Fishlegs seemed to be having trouble remembering so he explained slowly, "We were in the barn… But she was too fast. Snotlout got free and got me from the back… He had me… He had me with my own axe. B-but… He didn't kill me. Knocked me on the head instead. Heard another song, must have been a signal. They turned tail and ran. S- so, I chased them. Through the northern brush, but my arms started going numb and my vision blurred. Couldn't throw an'thing at them. Followed them all the way till they climbed over Wavebreaker Rock. Then the blood rushed to my head and it all went dark. Som-something wa-asn't right about her sword. Not normal. Definitely not…"

Fishlegs was fading out and Bertha gently nudged him, "Try not to sleep just yet… Can you describe anything else? What did she look like?"

Fishlegs seemed to wake up more with that question, "Copper hair. Long and curly, like the irish traders. Dressed all in black. And she was older than you, perhaps."

"Really? Older than me?" Bertha asked surprised.

"Yeah. Much smaller. Shorter than Astrid, even. But definitely older, experienced… and just beautiful."

Ruffnut seemed to come out of nowhere, "Beautiful? What- What do you mean Beautiful?!" Ruffnut dug her nails into his palm.

"Ow! Gods, I didn't mean it like that! Ahg!"

Ruffnut was now twisting his arm and squeezing his wounds, "I thought I was beautiful to you. You plan on leaving me for some older woman?"

"Gods No! Ow! Crazy Woman, NO. owww!" Fishlegs was stamping his foot in pain as she popped and squished puss out of his arm. This was technically the same treatment the women had been doing the whole time, but with much more gentleness.

"Well leaving me isn't going to me that easy you Foolish Viking." There was a loud pop.

"OW!" Fishlegs was suddenly able to yank his arm from her. "I Was NOT Trying to Leave you for another woman. And remember that I'm a foolish Wounded Viking!"

"Well you coulda been a foolish DEAD Viking! Are you trying to leave me for the halls of Vallhalla?!" Tears began to stream down her face.

"oh.. Oh, Ruffnut…"

Ruffnut wiped her tears on her sleeve and suddenly noticed that everyone around them was fully engrossed in the soap opera. Maura whispered in Bertha's ear, " I'm not sure whether the Lil Harpie just helped or tried to kill my son twice…"

Bertha laughed and everyone in the room broke from their suspended animation. There were quite a few catcalls, giggling, and wolf whistles. The couple turned scarlet. "Yes, alright! We're not running a zoo! Enough Chatter." Bertha the Endowed turned a commanding glare on the teenagers.

"Now that everything has been said… someone needs to tell the people what we've learned…" Tuffnut immediately turned to the door but Ruffnut squealed.

"WAIT! Wait… I need to do his other arm."

"I suppose that's true." Hummed Bertha.

Fishleg's eyes popped out of his skull, "What?"

Ruffnut smiled evilly down at him, " Yes. I have to pop the other arm back in. Did you think you had just magically regained power over your arm, By Your Self?"

Fishlegs seemed to calculate this in his head before deflating. In a resigned dread he asked, "Does it have hurt as much?"

Maura the Thunderous cheerfully added, "Well if you faint from the pain. That's fine, since you were gonna need sedating anyway." Laughing goes around as the women roll up their sleeves and proceed with the ghastly work. Tuffnut is cackling hardest of all when he opens the door and nearly trips over Rek.

Rek darts around Tuffnut and toward the stage, "Mommy!"

Bertha: "No, dear. You mustn't see this."

Rek gasps, "Mommy, it's Astrid's."

Bertha looked down to see a splintered piece of wood clutched in the 10 year old's hands. It looks like a warrior's bow that have been split in half. Bertha bends down to hear her son, "Rek, Mommy doesn't understand…"

Rek takes a deep breath before looking at his mother with big meaningful eyes, "**It's Astrid's."**

Bertha's eyes finally focused on the splintered wood. She recognized it. The wire was still attached and carved into the base was a single name. "Astrid…"

-*&^$%- Somewhere-*&^$%-

Acid. Her throat was burning. Her knees knocked together as she stood hunched over and gagging. Her eyes watered and all the strength went out of her. She fell backward, and soon curled into a fetal position. Burying her face in her hair and arms, she wept. The shame. Astrid had actually thrown up. If they flew straight perhaps this could have been avoided but more dragons had appeared and the damned thing had started to do loops. Loops!

Was he trying to kill her?!

Taking some quick cooling gasps, she sat up straight to ponder that. They had landed on a small volcanic rock with little life. No trees; not even bushes. Nowhere to hide. Not that anyone could hide for long on an island this small. The sky was clear and annoyingly cheerful while the ocean lapsed lazily on the shore. The boy and the dragon had gone on the other side of the hill to give her privacy. In fact they had only landed when they saw her turning green. Politeness is an unusual trait to find in… What were they?

A boy… And a Dragon? Working together? They had listened to each other, taking and giving note to the other's demands. Even now, Astrid could hear the boy talking and the dragon growling, like two friends carrying out a conversation. She hiked back up the hill and dropped low, to eavesdrop.

"She's going to kill me." _Yes, I will, thought Astrid._

"When she said, 'Take her out', She Definitely did Not mean 'take her out of danger even though she's the kin of kidnapping Vikings!" The small boy sat down hard on a small boulder. Astrid froze and the dragon sneezed.

"Of course, you don't think so. You are not in trouble. YOU are a dragon and have no mother! Especially not a mother as famous for her ruthlessness as mine!"

The dragon snorted and Astrid was intrigued. Who was this mother? Astrid was also a bit put out that the one to stir fear in the boy's heart was in fact his mother rather than she, herself. Then thinking upon her mother, she saw his point. Mothers were scary.

The boy looked to the dragon with upmost dread, "There's no choice, Toothless… I'll have to kill her."

Astrid reeled back in shock and lost her footing. She slid downhill before catching her grip again. But too late. The dragon has heard her and there would be no more information to be gathered. They came up the hill now to check on her. They would kill her. Astrid crouched low her eyes focused on where their heads were due to appear. The boy came first. She tackled him. They were both sent tumbling down hill in a wrestling embrace. The dragon roared after them. They came to rest where the hill ended and the beach began. She immediately asserted herself over him grabbed his dagger from his belt.

The dragon hissed menacingly and prowled forward. Astrid froze, dagger an inch from the boys face. "Toothless! Calm down!" The boy tried to sit up, Astrid halted him with the dagger to his throat, and the dragon once again growled.

"Don't do it." The boy just looked directly in her eyes. He was so calm.

His voice lowered and his words came out slow and gentle. Like he was taming a new dragon, hiccup said, "Take it easy. There's no reason to angry. Everything is okay… you will be okay."

"LIAR!" Astrid jammed the dagger up into his chin, starting off a slow trickle of blood. The dragon's claws extended into the sand and it lowered itself into a crouch. Muscles tensed and small teeth appeared in a silent hiss. The boy waved his dragon down. His eyes found Astrid's. "Listen. If you kill me… my dragon will kill you."

"Astrid spat into the side and scowled, "What does it matter? I heard you! You're going to kill me!"

"No, I won't."

"You won't- because I am going to Kill You First."

Hiccup rolled until he was over her, both of his hands wrapped around the hand that held the dagger. She used both her feet to kick him off and roll away from him. They began to circle with bated breath. Hiccup took out another dagger.

She slashed the air with the dagger, defensively. "I will not die here, by your blade! Nor your dragon! My people need me!" hissed Astrid, she wasn't sure if she was saying this for his benefit or her own.

Either way, something about this pissed Hiccup off. "Your people need you? Your people need you? Ha!"

Astrid faltered, unsure. Perhaps this boy was insane? He wouldn't turn out to be one of those berserker types would he?

Hiccup abruptly stopped circling. He stood straight and crossed his arms over his chest. "Listen up. You think you're the only one with responsibilities? Well My people need Me. And now you want to kill me? I saved your life! I caught you at 40 miles per hour on- " Astrid had interrupted him. She had interrupted with a side ways tackle that sent him flying face first into the sand. She grabbed random limbs and twisted, hoping something would lock and some sort of cry of pain would come out. The boy seemed to slide out of her grip. He also seemed to be insane- as she had first thought- since instead of trying to flip her off him he rearranged himself beneath her. Apparently making himself comfortable, he left himself flat on his back and put both his hands behind his head. Astrid had trouble believing this and waved the dagger in his face. Not to threaten him more but more like she was saying, 'Excuse me. I Still have a Dagger'.

The boy was silent for a bit before continuing in a shaky irritation, "You know what! You want to kill me? That's fine! What more would I expect of a Viking?! … Just know that if you kill me, Toothless will kill you… And even if you kill us both you will still starve to death. Especially considering we are your only way on and off this island."

Astrid's adrenaline was still pumping though her but she held herself frozen, mental wheels turning. She started cursing and cussing as never before. She grabbed the hair at the top of his scalp and began to bash his head into the ground. This didn't have the desired effect since his hands and the sand cushioned the bashing but it was rattling enough that the insane boy finally tried to sit up from his reclining position. His left hand caught her hand with the dagger while his right clamped on the claw in his hair. His eyes were wide is fear and Astrid thought, _finally something normal._

But wrenched the normality right back out of the situation when he let go of her dagger hand and reached for her face, maternally. "Don't Cry…"

Astrid blinked rapidly; she felt the tears flow down and her temper rise up. "Don't Pity Me!" She made a clumsy jab at his head and nicked his ear with the dagger, drawing blood. This was an unfortunate turn of events for it was this smell of blood that sent 180 pounds of pure dragon muscle straight at her head.

-Over the still sea-

Two ships with black sails entered the rock maze, shrouded in fog. The wind stopped and the two Pirate ship's sails wilted like flowers in poisoned water. Stoic the vast ordered oars be pulled out. The order was loud enough to be heard on the second pirate ship and was followed immediately. Every man and woman was doing his/ her part. All accept one. Snotlout, despite being recovered from the enemy just a few hours ago, was working like two men. He pushed and pulled the oar for himself and for the silent man next to him, Dane the Defiant. Dane the Defiant had been a happy man. He was still a happy man yesterday. But as soon as he had seen the date this morning, all joy was gone from the world. Vallhallarama came to their bench and raised a single brow. Snotlout was too out of breath and Dane didn't seem to notice her at all. Her question was, instead, answered by the Spitelout, who sat in the bench directly behind his son, "It is now two years to the day since Camicazi…"

Vallhallarama's eyes softened and almost reached tears. And she left Dane to his pain. No parent should have to bury their child… Thinking of this, she suddenly needed to hold Hiccup to her. She scrawled a note to him and pulled a Terrible Terror from its roost on the ship's helm. She chucked it into the air and watched it go.

A hand fell on her shoulder; she blinked away tears before she recognized Fulnir the Stinking and Drott the Dim by her side. They were Dane's best friends. Drott the Dim proved himself not so dim when he cleared his throat and began to sing.

"Close your eyes and I'll kiss you. Tomorrow I'll miss you…"  
Fulnir and Valhallarama joined him, "Remember I'll always be true…"

Dane's head snapped up to see who was singing. A couple more pirates joined in, "And then while I'm away I'll write home every day…"

Stoic must have heard it and understood because his deep voice rang out from the other ship. "And I'll send all my loving to you!"

The pirates followed their Captain into the song as if they were following him into great battle. Tears smeared the dirt on Dane's face, he beamed with appreciation before he could get his shaky voice to join them.  
"I'll pretend that I'm kissing…

The lips I am missing.

And hope that my dreams will come true…"

That is the song they sang all the way to the harbor of their home. They kept humming it to themselves and would sing it together again before dinner, along with the prayer. When she was finally back in her cozy little house, Valhallarama remembered a question a little girl had once asked her. 'Why did such cut- throat fearless pirates sing so much?'

This song for example…It was a song that they would now sing every year on this day for as long as they lived. The reason they were singing wasn't exactly happy… so why do it? More of them would surely be kidnapped, murdered, and eaten. But they would never stop singing… perhaps when the world hates you, songs can prove that you were and are still loved.

"If only I could have understood this when she asked me… It would have been nice to tell her this while she was alive…" The piratess shook her head sadly and resumed singing the favorite song of Dane's dead daughter.

"And then while I'm away"

A careful Tenor joined her from outside her cliffside window, "I'll write home every day and I'll send all my loving to you."

Valhallarama reached up and pulled a cord that opened the window. she greeted Hiccup with a smug smile."Hello, son. Burry any treasure lately?"

"I'm not sure what you mean." Hiccup said as he hopped through the window and headed for the kitchen. "I'm starving!"

Valhallarama pulled a lever behind a broken rocking chair and the kitchen doors slammed shut. N_ever should have designed that for her_, Hiccup turned back toward his mother. He looked at his toes nervously before he admitted, "Just a Captain's ransom."

He dove into a rapid fire explanation, "But i didn't mean to disobey orders! you weren't quite clear! And even so you knew i wasn't capable of a... a dispatch. i couldn't even do that to a dragon, remember?"

Hestopped himself abruptly because she was laughing. "YOu are going to get So much Dragon Shit for this!"

"Who's eating dragon shit?" said an enormous man, who was leaning against the framing of the front door.

Valhallarama froze and Hiccup winced. She turned to him with open arms and a guilty smile, " Love, we didn't hear you come in..."

-/)( ^#&% $^&(*-

Coded Hints:

_St_**ar**vi_ng_. cad tá á dhéanamh agat? tú amadán!

nach bhfuil sé co_throm. Tá sé ró-iontach_. Ní f_éidir liom a_ mharú. Is breá liom é.

ajo ka vdekur. Eaten.

Unë ju sfi_dë. Çfarë ka i_ vetëm të bëj? Oops.

Unë do të kanë ndjekur ty…


	5. Talk

-(*&%-The Misty Isle-%&*)-

Stoick the Vast pretended to lean on the doorframe. In truth, he was supporting his own weight and lowering his center of gravity. He was preparing for a physical duel, not that it would actually come to blows between himself, his ex-wife and his son. It was habitual. When aggravated, Stoick got ready. Which why everybody tried not to aggravate Stoick. Well everybody but, Valhallarama. She smiled at him with a charming guilt and opened her arms out to him as if he was to walk into her embrace. His pulse rate went up and his stomach flipped. Not that Stoick was still in love with his Ex-wife. It was habitual.

" Love, we didn't hear you come in..."

Stoick frowned, "Love?"

Valhallarama fluttered her eyelashes and cooed, "Yes, dear?"

Stoick's frowned worsened, mostly because his stomach had flipped again, but it still had the desired intimidating affect. Hiccup appeared to have stopped breathing, altogether. Stoick tried to stay focused, "No, Val. I mean, since when do you call Me 'love'? You're thinking of the wrong husband."

That finally faltered her charming smile. Stoick saw Hiccup also deflate at this quip and decided to change the subject Now. "So, who's eating dragon shit? Seriously, I'd like to see that." Hiccup went from depressed deflation to guilty pacing. Val spun a web of clever chatter but Stoick tuned it out, to watch his son pace. "Hiccup!"

"Y-yes?!" said hiccup, promptly tripping on his own feet.

"What did you do?" He hollered, straightening to his full height. By doing this he actually pierced the doorframe with his helmet antlers. So, when Stoick stepped into the living room he left his helmet stuck in the doorway. His red hair sticking up in all directions, Val started giggling. Hiccup, like his father, couldn't be distracted from a potential betrayal. Letting out a miserable sigh, Hiccup said, "I may have been… unable to kill someone, face to face."

Stoick lowered his voice, "I understand that. You couldn't even kill a dragon."

"But remember how much we benefitted from that." Val said stepping toward the two of them, putting a hand on his enormous shoulder. "We never would have developed such a closeness to the dragons. Hunting, building, fighting became easier. Now when those dragons haul in their kill they bring it to us first. They love us and we-"

"Which only made our family bigger. Which made us have That Much More To Lose," Stoick growled at Val. Turning towards Hiccup, "Are you saying you've done something that could benefit the village? No, I don't think you are."

Hiccup wanted to shrink and dissapear. He false started a couple times before getting out a single mangled word, "Hostage."

That took a moment to sink in, but when it did, "AAUGH, HICCUP!"

Hiccup actually tried to run away but Stoick's enormous hand caught the back of his collar and hoisted him back. Raising his son to his eyelevel, "What on earth, were you thinking, Hiccup?"

"Well- well…"

"He was just following my orders." Val interjected.

Stoick dropped Hiccup, who landed frogishly on all fours. "I should have known."

"N-no! Dad! Mom didn't order me to kidnap her!"

"But She Did send you to do something she knew you weren't capable of!" He rounded on Val with a roar, "You never think about the welfare of our village!"

"And you never think about the welfare of our son!" She snapped.

"I'm right here," Huiccup spoke in a soft voice that was as sad as it was angry. Quiet as he was, his parents could not have overlooked him, so intense was his delivery. "Don't talk about me as if I'm not. And haven't I asked the both of you, to please not argue in front of me? Haven't you both agreed not to? So why are you?...Saying you care more, does not prove it." Stoick and Val stopped, pained. Val turned her back on Stoick and began to pace while Stoick sat down and took deep breaths. "Hiccup… how about… you just tell me what happened?"

and so Hiccup recapped his morning of impulsive life saving. To his noontime fight on an empty island that ended with him prying the unconscious girl out from under his dragon's belly. Receiving his mother's message to come home, Leaving the girl in a heap of cloth to rush back home, only to be caught up in the "haul in" of the wilder dragons and being forced to make a "deposit" to their "landlord" to continue on his way.

Stoick was about to launch into a lecture when Val blurted, "you mean you just left a poor girl on an abandoned island all by herself? She must be starving by now!"

Stoick made a noise of tired exasperation, "Val, need I remind you that we don't exactly have the food, here, with which to feed her."

"So what are we going to do, Stoick? Let her starve to death?" Val glared at him, contemptuously. "When it was Our Fault she was on that tiny island in the first place?"

Val watched Stoick. Stoick watched the ceiling. Hiccup watched his parents, sighed, and walked back toward the Cliffside window.

He stood on the edge, clinging to the gaps between the house bricks, and whistled. The afternoon sun had yet to touch the ocean, which crashed horrifically against the rock a mile below.

"Where do you think you're going?!" boomed Stoick.

"To stop a girl from starving," said Hiccup.

"Wait, Have you thought of all the options! Consider the consequences!"

Hiccup shrugged. By shrugging, he let go of his grip on the house and was soon sent plummeting downwards. He freefell a fifty meters before being caught on a nightfury's back.

Stoick muttered, "Odin preserve us, He's as impulsive as You are."

"Oh please, he got that from Your side of the family." Val flashed her toothiest grin, and shrugged identically to her sons. She turned her back to him and Stoick frowned. Partially because his son was bringing back a bloodthirsty Viking; Mostly because his stomach had flipped from watching his Ex-wife walk away.

Habits die hard.

-On a villain's ship-

The man named Bucket was picked up by his hook and thrown overboard. He wailed and shrieked right up till he splashed into the water. Mulch watched with wide eyes, but stood absolutely still. The Captain's outbursts of destruction, cruelty, and insanity happened everyday, but throwing Mulch's best friend overboard was new. The before mentioned insanely cruel captain, Alvin the Treacherous stretched contentedly, " Well, that was an entertaining workout. Now, somebody clean up this mess."

Sailors slowly unfroze or uncurled from their cowering positions and began to pick up the scattered pieces and equipment that their captain had destroyed for fun. Mulch, on the other hand, immediately grabbed a rope and dived overboard to rescue Bucket. For a few minutes, the rope was pulled taught, without movement. Sailors began to watch the rope with worry, counting the seconds, looking for signs of their shipmates, and fingering more rope. The captain finally noticed the crew's worry and decided to milk it. Alvin the Treacherous swaggered toward the rope and smiled congenially. "They been at it long enough. Surely drowned by now. What say I cut the rope?"

"No!" came from several different directions.

Alvin smiled wider, revealing ugly prosthetic teeth. "You trying to tell your captain what to do now?" he asked, resting his sword's blade on the rope. The crew froze. The dead silence was chilling, only broken by the slapping of ocean waves and small footsteps. Excellinor the 2nd approached her father with a large tanker and a stiff enormous smile. "Ale, Daddy?"

"Thank you, Darling." Alvin said reaching for it.

Excellinor the 2nd gave her father an imperious glare, as she demanded, "No, YOU come HERE." She punctuated this by pulling a white handkerchief from her breast pocket and waving it at him as if she was drying his mouth.

Alvin rolled his eyes but sheaved his sword his sword and walked back to his daughter. Just as Alvin began to chug his ale, Bucket was grasping the deck's railing with Mulch gasping below. Crewmembers ran to haul their mates onboard as Alvin and his daughter watched from the shade. A nightmarish shriek erupted from below.

"AALVIIIIIN!"

The daughter pretended that she did not hear it continued to watch the crew, ship, and sky as if everything displeased her. Alvin growled and stomped down to tend to Excelinor the 1st, his mother.

All sailors return to their duties except for Mulch and Bucket, who are sprawled on the deck, still catching their breath. Bucket's face was the only one turned skyward and so was the only one to see a Nightfury and a small boy zoom overhead. Mulch's face is turned toward Excellinor and he spies her. Without lifting up any other part of his body, he accusingly waves his hook in her direction, "They tell me you saved us. Distracting your old man with drink when he was about to cut the lifeline. What you do that for? You want something? Or was it just luck?"

Excellinor did not respond, glaring at the world as if she hadn't heard.

Bucket sat up and smiled at the girl, simple mindedly. "Thank you, miss."

The teenager's haughty exterior evaporated. Tired eyed, Excellinor allowed a strained nod and a hopeless smile before retreating into the ship's lower levels.

Mulch watched her go before looking to Bucket, muttering, "Don't trust her, Bucket. Of an already screwed up family, she'll be the worst. I can feel it. Always changing expressions at the drop of a hat. That one's the most two faced of them all."

"Nuh-uh," Bucket smiled at the sky and put his hands behind his neck, "I like her."

Mulch rolled his eyes, "You like everyone! You're too trusting!"

Bucket stood up carefully, extending a hand to Mulch, "Not nooowwww."

Mulch accepted the hand and hopped up. He began to check his friend for injuries, "Not this time, you mean? So you admit you're wrong most of the time!"

Bucket stomped his foot, "I. Like. Her."

"You're so stubborn, you make the Vikings look gentle," Mulch guided his charge by his shoulders toward the main mast. Mulch took a towel from the mast's base and began to dry Bucket's hair. He tried to reason with Bucket, "Listen, you can't like her. You don't know her! And you can't trust who you don't know!"

"Ilikeher! Ilikeher!" Bucket drooled a little as he said this

"You Don't Know Her." Mulch insisted as he dabbed the drool off his friend's face.

Bucket crossed his arms, unwilling to drop it. "Yeah, I do. She makes sense."

Mulch chuckled. "HOW? She's mean and bossy to Daddy's girl to a moody zombie the next! How can anyone make sense of that? Whatsmore, how does She make sense to You and not me? I'm not the one who knocked my head, whilst wrestling a dragon."

Bucket blew out his cheeks, "You're not that smart, Mulch. You're just smarter than me."

Mulch cackled, "And that's not saying much."

"No, it's not." Bucket conceded before kicking his best friend in the shin. Mulch ended up toppling to the floor, holding his shin and laughing. Both were causing Mulch enough pain to bring tears to his eyes, which gave Bucket time to think his argument through. By the time Mulch calmed down Bucket felt prepared.

"We work for horrible people."

"No argument there."

"Well we may have to work for them… but She has to be Related to them."

Mulch made seven different faces of shock before smiling and holding his hands up in defeat. Bucket punched the air, childishly, and started for his position on the Starboard side. Mulch still sat on the deck floor against the mast and yelled after him, "You may be right… but that doesn't mean you won!"

"Yeah, it does."

"No it doesn't! I just…I just don't understand women!" Bucket let loose a string of contagious guffaws. Mulch shrugged, "You were always to understand all that complex female stuff…"

Bucket reached his post, picked up a burnt and battered bucket and placed it on his head like a crown. He turned back toward his friend and struck a pose, "That's cause I am a Genius!"

Snorting good-naturedly. "A Comedic Genius, Maybe."


	6. Chapter 4

I have a lot more stuff already written but i have to release it and so write the rest of it **in order** and so i delay... Sorry! Have Fun!Lot of Live Love. Chocolate... yeah. oh and disclaimer.

-*%The somewhere island*%-

Toothless circled around the island, searching for life. Landing on the beach with a loud crunch, he shakes himself off. His scales whisper like a wave on the shore, as Toothless stretches like a cat. He lets out a warning growl, smelling a storm near by.

Hiccup stroked the dragon's head comfortingly. "It's okay, it's not headed in our direction."

Looking about the island, it seemed bigger than before with no vikingess in sight. He had left her, unconscious, Right Here. But then perhaps it had been to much of a stretch that she would still be asleep, and easily transportable, when he got back. "Perhaps, she swam for it?" he asked, doubtfully. But no, he heard a strangled cry from just out of sight. Jumping off his friend's back he bounds to the very top of the island and looks down to see a figure he hadn't seen from the sky. It lay, covered from head to foot in mud, surrounded by similarly colored earth and seaweed.

As he jogged down he recognized the guttural pained sounds she was making

"Don't Cry…" he crouched down and wiped some sand from her eyes.

Astrid sat up slowly, blinked rapidly and felt a tightening in her gut like when she had first thrown up. "Don't Pity Me…" she more or less gurgled.

"Well you're pretty pitiable…" Hiccup said, vaguely amused. Astrid rose quite suddenly but off balance. She tried to tackle him but instead tumbled into him. Weighed down by soggy earth, she sent them tumbling and rolling into the waves.

The first to emerge was Astrid, scrambling up and away from the ocean as if she feared it. Hiccup stomped after her and stood over her, glowering and dripping. She scowled at him and then at the ocean. Trying to sound gruff and commanding like his father, he grunted, "What the hell happened to you?"

Silence. Awkward silence. And Hiccup cleared his throat, nervously. He wasn't very good at situations like this… She just sat there like a statue, refusing to look at him. Toothless prowled quietly up to them, apparently finished with watching from afar. He nudged her back.

Astrid took one look behind her and leaped away, barely landing on her feet. Toothless, kneeled down as a horse might, expecting her to take the hint. Astrid stared backing up and promptly bumped into Hiccup. "Take it easy. I came back here for a reason, you know." Hiccup said softly, as if addressing a wild animal.

She turned on him, slashing at his face with some sort of weapon. "Came back to finish the job?!" Dodging and then catching her wrist, Hiccup twisted her arm to force it behind her back. Astrid promptly backed into and then under him, forcing him to roll off her back and land once more in the mud. Toothless roared and charged Astrid like a bull. She was knocked backwards and once again into the surf. She regained herself quickly and slashed the air in front of her, with what Hiccup now realized was a spike from her skirt that she had been using as a shank.

Toothless let loose a fireball that sent Astrid flying backwards, out of the shallows, shrieking. Lucky for her a wave had swelled right at that moment to turn a good deal of the dragon's fireball in steam.

"No! no, no, no, Toothless!" Hiccup got in between his dragon and the downed girl. "She didn't mean it! I had it coming, really." He murmured sweetly to his dragon. Toothless's eyes widened from cat-like slits in perceived trust and calm. Hiccup kept his eyes locked with the dragon's as he reached for the girl's hand, half expecting her to stab it. He felt instead a circular piece put in his hand instead. Looking down at it in confusion, Hiccup saw that she had handed him the shank. Toothless focused on the make shift blade and hissed. Hiccup tossed it to the side without a second thought and resumed his crooning to his dragon. He walked backward, eyes locked with toothless, up until he was side by side with Astrid, knee deep in water. He reached for her hand. She yanked it away from him, staring at him like he was insane. He put his hand on Toothless's forehead, right between the eyes and Toothless cloded his eyes, relaxed. Grapping Astrid's risk he pulled her almost in front of him. He directed her hand to where his was.

Astrid's arm began trembling, but her curiosity kept her hand going forward. Closer, closer. Hiccup let Astrid's hand replace his own on Toothless's head. Toothless opened his enormous eyes and stared at Astrid, peacefully. Astrid gasped and the two beings shared a moment, taking in eachother.

Hiccup eventually led Astrid around to sit on Tooth's back where she sat in the back end of the saddle. As he strapped her in they talked softly, momentarily forgetting the violence

"So what did happen to you?"

"A storm came while you were gone… Almost all of the island disappeared under the sea." Hiccup swallowed, guiltily averting his eyes, understanding that he had abandoned her right before high tide. He sat down next to her, cross-legged. "Was it very bad? Was there any rain? Thunder? Lightning? Or just wind?"

Astrid into herself, letting her head lull backward so she could see the now clear sky, "Just rain and wind. In retrospect it wasn't so bad… I just didn't know what to do." Hiccup nodded, biting his lip. He swung himself over and in front of Astrid clicking his feet into the styrups and stroking Toothless's neck before they took off. Astrid squeeked and immediately dug her nails into the back of Hiccup's soaked vest as they lifted off, yards at a time. After they established a steady glide, Astrid untangled her fingers from the vest, wrinkling her nose. "Your fur smells disgusting."

"Who's fault is that? Dragging me into the ocean."

"You deserved it."

"By coming back to save you from certain death, I Deserved falling in the ocean and being slashed at? What kind of logic is that?"

She bared her teethat him, not that he could see, "The swim was for leaving me alone on an island right after telling me I'd die if I was left alone on an island."

Hiccup felt a pang of sympathy and guilt.

"The Slashing, as you put it, Was For Everything Else."

While the guilt doubled at that implication, Hiccup's sympathy dried up like a lake.

"An eye for an eye makes the whole world blind. Besides I didn't leave you on the island alone in the end, did i?"

Astrid scoffed at his self-defense, "I thought you abandoned me. Left me to starve like the no good Viking I am. Are you saying that kind of mental torture isn't worth a shove?"

There was some pirate logic in that, not that Hiccup planned to admit it. A dozen different retorts and insults to Viking kind popped in his head, but what came out of Hiccup's mouth was, "I'm sorry."

Astrid's face went slack, her moth actually hanging a bit agape. Hiccup continued, "You wouldn't know this about me, but I've known what it is to starve. And I actually wouldn't wish that on anybody."

Astrid was genuinely curious but it still came out as an insult in all it's disbelief. "Because you are such an exceptionably honorable kind of pirate…?"

"Because I'm that kind of person," He snaps, without looking back.


End file.
